Harris on Cook: "He looks a bit rusty but we all know what he can do. You don't score over 10,000 runs and not be any good."
Tuesday 14 November 2017 15:10, UK
Former Australia bowler Ryan Harris says England's batting is "vulnerable" ahead of the Ashes series.
Harris says the Australians have gathered useful intelligence on England's side as the tourists completed a 192-run victory over a Cricket Australia XI in their pink-ball Ashes warm-up match in Adelaide.
When asked by Sky Sports News if England's batting is vulnerable, Harris said: "I think it is, especially with no Ben Stokes. It depends how the boys bowl, if they bowl loose and wide the batsman won't have any troubles.
"We've got some good intelligence and knowledge on what we want to do, which I'll pass on to our bowlers. That's why we play these games. It's all good going into a big series."
Cook - the only Englishman with 10,000 Test runs - made just 15 and 32 in Adelaide and has managed only 108 runs in seven innings since his double century against Windies at Edgbaston in August.
"I think he looked a bit rusty, so I'm sure he'll look forward to another hit next week," Harris added off Cook. "But we all know what he can do. You don't score over 10,000 runs and not be any good."
Harris, who took 22 wickets during Australia's 5-0 Ashes series victory in 2013-14, identified England captain Joe Root as their key player.
"Root is world class, we've been known to target the captain when we play against them, he's genuinely their best player," Harris, coach of the Cricket Australia XI, said.
"If you take out the two or three best players out of an opposition side, it'll hopefully be hard, and that's what I'm sure the Australians will be trying to do."
England play one further four-day warm-up match - against the same opposition in Townsville from Wednesday - before the first Ashes Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane from November 23.
